Skating helping to shape lives, install confidence
Editor’s note: Learning to skate later in life has proven beneficial in a multitude of ways for these three adult skat- ers. Their desire to improve and compete is a testament to what the sport of skating has to offer.
CAROLYN BERTOLINO, 45 Bettendorf, Iowa, FSC of the Quad Cities, Adult pre-bronze Carolyn Bertolino credits skating with shaping
her life. “I get exercise without having to do boring
gym workouts,” Bertolino said. “It also keeps me occupied by thinking all the time of what’s next.” Bertolino began taking group lessons 17 years ago with her sister at a local mall. She’s become se- rious about the sport in the last 18 months, cred- iting her coach with pushing her to take on new elements. “She breaks them down to be more under-
standable,” Bertolino said. Bertolino trains five hours a week and is most
proud of achieving her back spin. “It took me so long to learn,” Bertolino said.
“I’m glad I never gave up on it.” Taking a page from her coach, Bertolino is also
adept at pushing herself. “I discovered my mind can force my body to
do some pretty cool things,” said Bertolino, who engages unique strategies in readying herself to compete.
Her off-ice preparation includes spirals, which
Bertolino has difficulty with when nervous. She pays attention to her upper body, because her legs will shake. “I practice frequently and envision an audi-
ence watching me to psych myself into feeling nervous,” Bertolino said. Her objective is to practice completing her
program, feeling something similar to how she expects to feel at competition. Closer to compe- tition, she opens her practice sessions with a pro- gram run-through. Bertolino is just beginning to take her adult
skating tests, with long-term goals of passing her adult silver and adult gold moves-in-the-field tests. “I’d like to also be competitive at adult bronze,”
DAVID ROGALA, 46 Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Wasatch FSC, Adult silver free skate Dave Rogala has developed a healthy per-
said Bertolino, an insurance representative. “Skat- ing means fun, excitement and challenge.”
spective on his skating since taking up the sport five years ago. An Air Force master sergeant in the avionics
field, he simply wants to be a better skater than he was last week and, in the long term, become as good a skater as he can be. “Anything else is subordinate,” Rogala said.
“Skating is great for constant self-challenge, ex- pression and escape from anything going on in my life. My greatest achievement is being married to a wonderful woman for over 19 years and watching our two sons develop into men. No individual ac- complishment can top that.” One of Rogala’s sons began skating five years
ago through his youth group, which prompted fa- ther and son to begin lessons. Despite the rigors of military service, Rogala
72 MARCH 2016
credits skating with inspiring more focus and dis- cipline than he thought he could achieve. “Thanks to skating, I now know I have a higher
pain threshold, too,” Rogala said. He is friends with his coach, who excels at push- ing him, but respects his limits. Rogala also works informally with a woman who helps him quite a bit. The skating community has been significant
to Rogala, who became friends with a skater while stationed in Korea, despite the language barrier. Competition for Rogala has turned out to be
the most exciting part of skating; he didn’t realize initially that he was capable of performing in front of judges and spectators. Confidence in program run-throughs are connected to mental and physical preparation. Rogala lifts weights, cycles and runs, reminding himself not to take things too seriously. “I do this for fun,” Rogala said. “The only way
I’m going to the Olympics is if someone buys me a ticket!”
MARLA KNIGHT, 54 Columbus, Ohio, Columbus FSC, Adult pre-bronze In 2010, Marla Knight wanted to find a hob-
by for her days off work. “I wanted something that was good for me
and I’d previously enjoyed,” Knight said. “I remem- bered skating with my sister and friends and re- ceiving a pair of skates.” Knight, a speech-language pathologist at The
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, fell hard and slipped often, deciding lessons would help her learn how not to hurt herself. Knight’s husband jokes that skating is her un-
healthy obsession, though it has transformed her health and confidence. Never considered the ath- letic type, Knight now performs daily exercise and stretching routines. “I’m in better condition than any time in my
life,” Knight said. “I’ve also made many new friends.” However, two weeks before her first competi-
tion, Knight fractured her knee in a fall. Previously, she would have quit when suffering such a set- back. Her first question, though, was, “When can I skate again? I did not want to give up,” said Knight, who competed one year later. Physical therapy taught Knight strength exer-
cises, and she alternates days of upper and lower body conditioning. Her coach’s advice tokeep “getting the miles” is
the main reason she remembers everything in her programs. “Frequent run-throughs help introduce a new
level of stress that is important to learn to man- age,” Knight said. “I also need a skate parent.” Generally a calm person, Knight finds it better
to laugh at her mistakes. During competition, she feels no stress from the audience and judges. Her concern is skating well for herself and her coach, Misha Sorochinsky. “He holds my hand when I need it, but pushes
me to remember all the details,” said Knight, who recently began figures.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88